President Barack Obama is directing several government agencies to investigate the viability of smart guns.

In a memo posted to the White House website on Tuesday, President Obama ordered the Departments of Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security to "conduct or sponsor research into gun safety technology that would reduce the frequency of accidental discharge or unauthorized use of firearms, and improve the tracing of lost or stolen guns."

He requested a full report within 90 days that outlines an R&D strategy that could expedite the rollout of such firearm technology.

"For more than 20 years, the Federal Government has worked to keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks," President Obama wrote. "This critical effort in addressing gun violence has prevented more than two million prohibited firearms purchases from being completed. But tens of thousands of people are still injured or killed by firearms every year -- in many cases by guns that were sold legally but then stolen, misused, or discharged accidentally. Developing and promoting technology that would help prevent these tragedies is an urgent priority."

The move comes as President Obama announced several executive actions intended to reduce gun violence.

Smart gun technology has been in development for years. In one of the more popular forms, fingerprint sensors are used. In that case, only the authorized owner, whose fingerprint has been assigned to the gun, may fire it. If another person tries to shoot the gun, it'll be rendered useless. Smart gun technology has also expanded to a wide range of other uses, including requiring Bluetooth connectivity with a ring or bracelet.

In 2013, President Obama asked the Department of Justice to look into new gun safety technologies. The agency's report found that smart guns could be effective in reducing accidental deaths and tracking stolen guns, though reliability was a chief concern.

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At this point, smart guns have yet to be backed by any major gunmaker and lobbying groups, including the National Rifle Association, are generally not in favor of them.

"The NRA doesn't oppose the development of 'smart' guns, nor the ability of Americans to voluntarily acquire them. However, NRA opposes any law prohibiting Americans from acquiring or possessing firearms that don't possess 'smart' gun technology," the NRA says on its website.

In 2014, gun makers Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger Co. slammed a California law requiring semiautomatic pistols to be equipped with technology called microstamping, and said it could result in fewer of their weapons available for sale in the state. Last year, a court upheld the microstamping law.